SRINAGAR: The High Court of JK and Ladakh High while taking serious note of the deaths caused due to electrocution and injuries due to electric shocks, ordered for the constitution of a committee to ensure the implementation of statutory safety measures and regulations enshrined in the Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010, in letter and spirit.
The three member panel will be headed by the Commissioner Secretary, State’s Power Development Department (PDD) and will comprise of the Chief Engineers of the Department.
The court has also directed District Magistrates of all districts in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to ensure compliance with Regulation 58 of Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010 on a war footing, which provides for clearance above ground level of conductors of overhead lines, including electricity service lines.
While awarding compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Jatinder Kumar, a casual labourer, who died while carrying out restoration work on a transformer in Jammu, a bench comprising Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal observed that that the accident occurred due to non-adherence to safety measures such as local earthings, hand insulating gloves, proper isolation, and other safety measures by the maintenance staff. “The deceased worker’s mother, wife, and daughter will receive the compensation within two months of the court order,” the bench concluded.
“It appears that deaths due to electrocution as well as bodily injuries due to electric shocks are ignored as mere accidents. The colossal loss of human lives and especially children is totally unacceptable, grim and heart rending. Such unfortunate deaths continue to occur flouting statutory measures,” bench observed.
“Article 21 of constitution ensures fundamental rights to each citizen of the country which are inalienable in nature and guarantees citizens right to live and to be treated as an individual of worth,” it added.
Justice Nargal further emphasized that, “any omission in preventing the discharge of high voltage electric energy by anyone engaged in the activity of supplying such electric energy is liable to compensate for the damage caused to a human life because of such energy.”
SRINAGAR: Weather department on Friday forecast “improvement” in weather from afternoon onwards but said that there are more rains in store till May 4 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting a metrological department official, GNS reported that Improvement in weather is expected from afternoon onward.
From April 29- May 2nd, he said, the weather is expected to be partly cloudy. “Possibility of intermittent rain/thunderstorm at scattered places is expected towards late afternoon/evening (50% chance).”
From May 3-4, he said, there is possibility of widespread light to moderate rain and thunder expected in J&K. “Some places are likely to receive heavy rains,” he said.
Overall, he said, “weather is very likely to remain erratic till May 4.”
“Farmers are advised to postpone spraying of orchards till May 4,” he added.
In last 24 hours till 8:30 a.m. this morning, Srinagar recorded 18.6mm of rain, Qazigund 6.8mm, Pahalgam 7.7mm, Kupwara 15.3mm, Kokernag 5.0mm, Gulmarg 26.4mm and Banihal 1.1mm.
Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 6.5°C against 7.0°C on the previous night and it was 2.8°C below normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 6.8°C against 6.6°C on the previous night and it was 1.0°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 4.2°C against 3.5°C on previous night and it was 0.2°C below normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 5.7°C against 5.2°C on the previous night and it was 2.4°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1.0°C against minus 0.5°C on previous night and it was 5.2°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 5.6°C against 3.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.2°C below normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 19.4°C against 19.1°C on the previous night. It was 2.8°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 8.3°C (1.4°C below normal), Batote 10.4°C (1.6°C below normal), Katra 16.8°C (2.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 7.8°C (1.1°C below normal). Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 2.2°C and 4.6°C respectively, the official said.
SRINAGAR: Baramulla police on Friday said to have arrested a ready-made garments shop owner for secretly recording videos in a changing room.
In a statement, a police spokesman said that police Station Chandoosa received a written complaint from one minor girl (name withheld) accompanied by her sister wherein she stated that on April 26th, 2023 she went to a readymade shop at Bandi Payeen belonging to one Aijaz Ahmad Sofi S/O Gh Nabi Sofi R/O Bandi Payeen Chandoosa and selected some clothes and went to changing room for trial. After entering in the changing room she found a hidden mobile phone which was kept there for secretly recording the customer’s videos while changing clothes, he said.
Acting promptly upon the complaint, case FIR under sections of IPC, IT acr & POCSO Act was registered in Police Station Chandoosa and investigation was taken up, the statement said.
He said, during the course of investigation, a team headed by SHO PS Chandoosa, Inspector Irfan Ahmad under the supervision of SDPO Kreeri, Khalid Aahraf was constituted and the accused person namely Aijaz Ahmad Sofi S/O Gh Nabi Sofi R/O Bandi Payeen Chandoosa (owner of the shop) was taken into custody immediately in the instant case. Mobile devices of the accused have also been seized and further investigation is going on.
Community members are requested to be careful while using trail rooms, the spokesman added. (KDC)
SRINAGAR: Authorities have closed Srinagar-Kargil highway due to fresh snowfall while vehicular movement has been badly affected due to breakdown of a big trailer truck on Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Dalwas, officials said Friday.
An official said that “up HMVs tail has been delayed due to the breakdown of a big trailer at Dalwas.”
He advised commuters to cooperate with the traffic officials manning the highway.
On Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gomri (SSG) road, which connects Ladakh with Kashmir valley, he said that the route has been closed for traffic due to fresh snowfall. Pertinently, the road was partially opened for traffic on Thursday after remaining closed for 11 days due to snow avalanches at Zojila Pass.
The closure has affected traffic in the area, with commuters advised to find alternative routes. Authorities are working hard to clear the snow and reopen the road as soon as possible, but the process is expected to take some time.
Meanwhile, the Mughal road continues to remain closed for traffic. The road, which connects Kashmir valley with Rajouri and Poonch regions, remains shut in winters due to heavy snowfall. The road is expected to open for traffic soon as authorities are clearing the snow from the historic road.
Traffic update @ 0730 hrs Up HMVs tail delayed due 2 breakdown of big trailer at Dalwas. People r advised 2 co-operate plz. SSG road closed due 2 snowing. Mughal road is closed.@ddnewsladakh@ddnews_jammu@ddnewsSrinagar
University of Washington professor of seismology and geohazards Harold Tobin who also heads the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, explains the differences between predicting and forecasting earthquakes
An aerial view of the devastation by the February 2023 earthquake in Hatay, Turkey.
In short, no. Science has not yet found a way to make actionable earthquake predictions. A useful prediction would specify a time, a place and a magnitude – and all of these would need to be fairly specific, with enough advance notice to be worthwhile.
For example, if I predict that California will have an earthquake in 2023, that would certainly come true, but it’s not useful because California has many small earthquakes every day. Or imagine I predict a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake will strike in the Pacific Northwest. That is almost certainly true but doesn’t specify when, so it’s not helpful new information.
Earthquakes happen because the slow and steady motions of tectonic plates cause stresses to build up along faults in the Earth’s crust. Faults are not really lines, but planes extending down miles into the ground. Friction due to the enormous pressure from the weight of all the overlying rock holds these cracks together.
An earthquake starts in some small spot on the fault where the stress overcomes the friction. The two sides slip past each other, with the rupture spreading out at a mile or two per second. The grinding of the two sides against each other on the fault plane sends out waves of motion of the rock in every direction. Like the ripples in a pond after you drop in a stone, it’s those waves that make the ground shake and cause damage.
Most earthquakes strike without warning because the faults are stuck – locked up and stationary despite the strain of the moving plates around them, and therefore silent until that rupture begins. Seismologists have not yet found any reliable signal to measure before that initial break.
What about the likelihood of a quake in one area?
On the other hand, earthquake science today has come a long way in what I’ll call forecasting as opposed to prediction.
Seismologists can measure the movement of the plates with millimetre-scale precision using GPS technology and other means, and detect the places where stress is building up. Scientists know about the recorded history of past earthquakes and can even infer farther back in time using the methods of paleo-seismology: the geologically preserved evidence of past quakes.
Putting all this information together allows us to recognize areas where conditions are ripe for a fault to break. These forecasts are expressed as the likelihood of an earthquake of a given size or greater in a region over a period of decades into the future. For example, the US Geological Survey estimates the odds of a magnitude 6.7 or greater quake in the San Francisco Bay Area over the next 30 years is 72 per cent.
Are there any hints a quake could be coming?
A meme that somebody set on social media after the September 22, 2020 evening tremors and it moved faster than the earthquake.
Only about 1 in 20 damaging earthquakes have foreshocks – smaller quakes that precede a larger one in the same place. By definition, they aren’t foreshocks, though, until a bigger one follows. The inability to recognize whether an earthquake in isolation is a foreshock is a big part of why useful prediction still eludes us.
However, in the past decade or so, there have been a number of massive earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more, including the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan and a 2014 magnitude 8.1 in Chile. Interestingly, a larger fraction of those very biggest earthquakes seem to have exhibited some precursory events, either in the form of a series of foreshocks detected by seismometers or sped-up movements of the nearby Earth’s crust detected by GPS stations, called “slow slip events” by earthquake scientists.
These observations suggest that perhaps there really are precursory signals for at least some huge quakes. Maybe the sheer size of the ensuing quake made otherwise imperceptible changes in the region of the fault prior to the main event more detectable. We don’t know, because so few of these greater-than-magnitude-8 earthquakes happen. Scientists don’t have a lot of examples to go on that would let us test hypotheses with statistical methods.
In fact, while earthquake scientists all agree that we can’t predict quakes today, there are now essentially two camps: In one view, earthquakes are the result of complex cascades of tiny effects – a sensitive chain reaction of sorts that starts with the proverbial butterfly wing flapping deep within a fault – so they’re inherently unpredictable and will always remain so. On the other hand, some geophysicists believe we may one day unlock the key to prediction if we can just find the right signals to measure and gain enough experience.
How do early warning systems work?
One real breakthrough today is that scientists have developed earthquake early warning systems like the USGS ShakeAlert now operating in California, Oregon and Washington State. These systems can send out an alert to residents’ mobile devices and to operators of critical machinery, including utilities, hospitals, trains and so on, providing warning of anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute before shaking begins.
This sounds like an earthquake prediction, but it is not. Earthquake early-warning relies on networks of seismometers that detect the very beginning of an earthquake on a fault and automatically calculate its location and magnitude before the damaging waves have spread very far. The sensing, calculating and data transfer all happen near the speed of light, while the seismic waves move more slowly. That time difference is what allows early warning.
For example, if an earthquake begins off the coast of Washington state beneath the ocean, coastal stations can detect it, and cities like Portland and Seattle could get tens of seconds of warning time. People may well get enough time to take a life safety action like “Drop, Cover and Hold On” – as long as they are sufficiently far away from the fault itself.
What complications would predicting bring?
While earthquake prediction has often been referred to as the “holy grail” of seismology, it actually would present some real dilemmas if ever developed.
First of all, earthquakes are so infrequent that any early methods will inevitably be of uncertain accuracy. In the face of that uncertainty, who will make the call to take a major action, such as evacuating an entire city or region? How long should people stay away if a quake doesn’t materialize? How many times before it’s a boy-who-cried-wolf situation and the public stops heeding the orders? How do officials balance the known risks from the chaos of mass evacuation against the risk from the shaking itself? The idea that prediction technology will emerge fully formed and reliable is a mirage.
It is often said in the field of seismology that earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do. Scientists are already good enough today at forecasting earthquake hazards that the best course of action is to redouble efforts to construct or retrofit buildings, bridges and other infrastructure so they’re safe and resilient in the event of ground shaking in any area known to be at risk from large future quakes. These precautions will pay off in lives and property saved far more than a hoped-for means of earthquake prediction, at least for the foreseeable future.
(The author is Professor of Seismology and Geohazards, University of Washington. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.)
SRINAGAR: In a move aimed at improving the healthcare delivery system in Jammu and Kashmir, the Health & Medical Education Department has ordered the transfers and postings of I/C District Ayush Officers (Ayurveda/Unani). The order, which took immediate effect, was issued in the interest of administration and patient care.
Dr Suresh Kumar Sharma has been posted as I/C Controller Provincial Stores Ayush, Jammu. In addition to his own duties, Dr Sharma will also look after the routine work of the office of Deputy Director Ayush, Jammu (Ayurveda). Dr Vandana Dogra, who was awaiting orders, has been posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Jammu. She will now be responsible for the routine work of the office of Medical Superintendent, Government Ayurvedic Hospital, Jammu, in addition to her own duties.
Dr Ajay Kumar Tickoo has been posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Doda, while Dr Surekha Pandita has been posted to Udhampur. Dr Rakesh Kumar Sharma has been posted to Kathua, while Dr Sanjay Kumar Raina has been posted to Poonch. Dr Rakesh Kumar Shan has been posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Rajouri.
The order further states that Dr Nuzhat Bashir Shah, presently awaiting orders of adjustment is posted as District Ayush Officer, Srinagar. She will also look after the routine work of the office of Deputy Director Ayush, Kashmir (Unani). Dr Tabasum Rasool Khan, also awaiting orders of adjustment, is posted as I/C Controller provincial store Ayush, Kashmir. Dr Rohilanaz Khan is posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Budgam.
Dr Shujad Hussain Shuja, who was previously discharging his duties as I/C Assistant director (Unani) on an interim arrangement, is now posted as I/C Asst director (Unani) on a full-time basis.
Dr Raja Amjad Ali Khan, working as I/C District Ayush Officer Budgam, is posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Kupwara. He shall take over the charge of this post after the retirement on Superannuation of Dr Farooq Iqbal, Medical officer Kupwara.
Dr Ravinder Kumar Pandita, who was awaiting orders of adjustment, is now posted as I/C District Ayush Officer Anantnag, while Dr Shamim Ahmad Shah, also awaiting orders of adjustment, is posted as I/C District Ayush Officer, Baramulla.
This move by the Jammu and Kashmir government is expected to help in streamlining the healthcare system in the state, ensuring better healthcare services for patients.
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu, Mukesh Singh on Thursday chaired a security review meeting and stressed for coordination among all the agencies involved for smooth and incident free pilgrimage.
Notably, this year Shri Amarnath Yatra is starting from July 1 and will conclude on August 31.
Top brass from various security and intelligence agencies participated in the meeting and deliberated upon various aspects of yatra management and emergency responses.
Addressing the participants, the ADGP stressed proper coordination to be maintained among all the intelligence agencies, Army, Paramilitary Forces, Traffic and Security wing in their respective districts and area of responsibility for smooth and incident free Yatra.
Singh had a detailed discussion and briefing with the officers of Central reserve Police Force, Police, intelligence agencies, in view of the present security scenario and possible threats to the Shri Amar Nath Yatra this year.
During the meeting, some of the issues were raised by DIG CRPF and Commandant concerned and they were assured that issues will be addressed by Civil Administration and District SSPs concerned and SSP PCR well before the deployment of manpower for the Yatra.
The ADG Jammu also advised the participants to ensure that proper coordination required to be maintained among all the intelligence agencies, Army, PMF, Traffic and Security wing in their respective districts/area of responsibility for smooth and incident free Yatra.
He also requested Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Ramesh Kumar to take immediate action on certain issues raised by CRPF Commandants so that no inconvenience is caused to troops being deployed for the purpose—(KNO)
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the National Seminar on Anti Human Trafficking Awareness organized by National Commission for Women, in collaboration with Social Welfare Department and J&K Police on Thursday.
In his address, the Lt Governor shared valuable suggestions to effectively deal with the challenges of Human Trafficking in a comprehensive manner.
“Trafficking in persons is the most heinous form of organized crime which requires holistic and coordinated action by all the stakeholders at all levels,” said the Lt Governor.
“Law enforcement agencies, civil society groups, youth and every section of the society must unite to raise awareness of this issue, safeguards people from exploitation, effectively combat this violent crime and to dismantle the criminal network,” he added.
The Lt Governor asked the Anti-human trafficking cells to forge partnership with youth clubs and civil society groups.
“Anti-Human trafficking cell in the districts require a comprehensive approach and partnership with civil society and youth to prevent trafficking and assist the law enforcement agencies to punish the traffickers. Our small effort can save many innocent people from exploitation,” he said.
The Lt Governor stressed upon the Law enforcement agencies to analyze three important aspects – origin, transit & destination and prepare a Priority Action Plan to strike at the root of Human Trafficking Network.
“In order to eradicate this crime, our coordinate response must focus on vulnerable groups such as children, women, labourers, displaced persons and it should be ensured they are identified & sufficiently protected,” the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor said the Government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance for crime against women and committed to punish the criminal networks or individuals behind this heinous crime.
J&K UT has lowest number of cases of human trafficking. Rescue and rehabilitation is the priority. We are also fully committed to setting up Anti-Human Trafficking Cells in all the districts of J&K. Moreover, 202 women’s help desks have been set up in all the police stations of the UT, he further added.
The Lt Governor also highlighted the significant role of security forces in establishing peace in J&K and ensuring safety of the people.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor announced recruitment for the posts of Anganwadi’s Sangini and Sahayika. More than 4000 appointments will be made in a transparent manner soon. District Commissioners have been directed to complete the recruitment process within one month, he added.
Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice of J&K and Ladakh High Court said, the human trafficking mainly affects women and children. We should focus on the prevention part and the judiciary has a role to play where perpetrators are taken to task, he added.
Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women stressed upon awareness in the society. Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary reiterated the UT Administration’s commitment to eradicate Human Trafficking.
Members of National Commission for Women, senior officials from civil administration, police & other law enforcement agencies, and civil society members were present.
SRINAGAR: JK Bank’s erstwhile public relations head, Khursheed Pandit’s father-in-law is no more. Haji Ghulam Mohammad Dar passed away at Noora Hospital at 6:30 am on Thursday morning. He was 93.
His nimaz-e-janaza was offered in the afternoon at 12:30 and he was laid to rest in the ancestral graveyard at Karan Nagar Doodganga.
Dar is survived by sons, Er Feroz Ahmad Dar and Dr Yasin Firdous.
Pandit said his father-in-law’s Fateh Khawni will be held on April 30, 2023, at 10.30 am at their graveyard.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of Kashmir Medical College & Super-Speciality Hospital being developed by Milli Trust, Delhi, at the Industrial Estate Sempora, Medicity, Srinagar.
Addressing the gathering at the ground breaking ceremony, the Lt Governor said the project is one of the biggest private sector investments in health sector of UT that will improve efficiency and quality of care.
“It is a new era for private investments in J&K UT and testimony to PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s commitment to make J&K UT a leading investment destination for manufacturing and service sector,” said the Lt Governor.
The project worth Rs. 525 Cr will develop Medical College with 150 MBBS seats to fulfill the aspirations of youth and 100 bedded hospital will provide world-class healthcare at affordable rates. The project will provide employment opportunity to 2000 local youth.
We have created an enabling environment for private sector for economic development, employment and income generation. The administration is deeply and sincerely committed to ease of doing business and ease of living, said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor also shared the details of infrastructure being developed in the UT
The Lt Governor said that Rs 1.25 lakh crores worth road and highway projects are being completed in the Union Territory and we have also created the necessary institutional structures for investment.
The journey from Katra to Delhi will be possible in 6 hours with the completion of new Katra-Delhi expressway while the journey from Kashmir to Delhi will take only 9 hours, he added.
The Lt Governor further said that world highest iconic rail bridge has been completed that will provide connectivity between kashmir to kanyakumari by the end of this year. With regards to Air connectivity, 126 flights shall be operational from May 2, he added.
The Lt Governor said J&K UT is way ahead of national average on several health parameters.
We have two AIIMS, 9 Medical Colleges. J&K also leads in per person spending on healthcare facilities. Every family in the UT is covered under Ayushmaan Sehat. We are making sincere efforts to transform Jammu Kashmir into a prime destination for medical tourism, he added.
